


Terror Drabbles

by i_am_a_hog



Category: The Terror (TV 2018)
Genre: Angst, Drabble Collection, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-10-18
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:07:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 1,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26748526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/i_am_a_hog/pseuds/i_am_a_hog
Summary: Collection of drabbles from mytumblr. Feel free to send a prompt my way!
Relationships: Captain Francis Crozier/Commander James Fitzjames
Comments: 3
Kudos: 17





	1. Prompt: Francis Crozier and The Colour Green

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, I'm back in the business! Hope you enjoy:)

Francis Crozier had grown up with the colour green. Everything in the Irish countryside was green, sometimes so glaringly green that Francis got tired of it. Then, he had encountered green water, the deep, dark green of the sea, calling him, almost as strongly as the pale blue of the ice.

The ice had won out in the end. Francis thought that the ice always won; after all, there was no green in the ice, nor anywhere near it. Over the years, the colour faded into the back of Francis’ mind. Green things were on land, in the cities, that never quite felt like home. Green cravats, green parks, green dresses. 

Another expedition meant another few years without a glimpse of true green. Francis was used to it, he liked it, and his eye was drawn to any spark of the colour he could find, like stars in the black night sky. The last place he would have expected to find green, was the eyes of his second. It wasn’t always there, which explained why Francis hadn’t noticed it earlier. But once he saw it, it never left his mind.

James’ hazel eyes, expressive as they were, had pulled Francis in; he got lost with no means to navigate himself out of the situation, a glint of green in Jame’s eyes when he smiled at Francis tiredly, as he tried to keep the men’s morale up, as he tried to convince Francis, and maybe himself that he was going to be alright. A glimpse of green that Francis saw when he closed his eyes, that stood in contrast with the bloody red of his dreams. 

Their lips met, and Francis tasted pain. Past, almost forgotten pain, present pain, aching and crippling. But most prominently, he tasted the pain of the future, a pain of living in a world without the glint of green.

Francis knew, when his pale blue eyes met James’, that he would end up alone. After all, there was no green in the ice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [This post on Tumblr](https://i-am-a-hog.tumblr.com/post/630777345218953216/crozier-n-i-beg-of-u)


	2. Prompt: Francis Crozier and An Absent Look or Touch

James had noticed the way Francis looked at him, long before he seriously thought about it. He had shrugged it off as something the man just did, something that wasn’t directed at James personally. 

He only realised he was wrong, when Francis directed the same kind of looks at him after the Carnivale. After James had fucked everything up. After he should be the last one Francis should look at like that. Like anything. Like James was worth something.

That was it; if James had been asked to describe the look, that would have been it. A reassurance, that he was needed and that Francis wanted him there, in one way or another. He realised that Francis probably wasn’t aware he looked at James like that and felt guilty for taking what wasn’t his to take, and yet, he wasn’t strong enough to stop the jolt of joy that went through him when he caught Francis with that look in his eyes.

The touches were heavier. They had James lying awake at night, thinking back to the second of skin contact, to the press of Francis’ hand at his upper arm that could have been warm in a different world or a different time. The touches were a part of Francis’ way of communication, open and honest, and James deserved none of it.

But until Francis realised this and abandoned James for good, he would continue to bask in the light Francis shed on lis life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [This post on Tumblr](https://i-am-a-hog.tumblr.com/post/630777371645149184/f-or-l-for-the-minific)


	3. Prompt: James Fitzjames and On the Edge of Consciousness

James knew he was going to die. It was only a matter of time now, a question of when, and despite himself he hoped it would be sooner rather than later. He couldn’t take it anymore; feeling his body decaying , while he was still halfway conscious was torture, but somehow, seeing the reactions of those around him was worse. 

Francis kept it together most of the time. When James was awake he talked, soothingly, of stories James didn’t have the strength to listen to, but he was sure he had heard Francis cry next to him, in brief bouts of consciousness. 

Bridgens was worse; there were tears in his eyes whenever he talked to James and even though he knew the man was caring for many more than just James, it pained him to hurt the gentle-natured Bridgens like that. Whoever came to visit James, they were all looking devastated and James hated himself for it. For being weak, for succumbing to this when so many others were still standing. For making them all suffer without being able to change it.

Every time James woke up, he cursed the world, or himself, or a cruel god, if there even was one for not taking him; every time he felt weaker and every time he prayed that he would not awake again. But something changed, then - James couldn’t tell time anymore, but he was sure it had been days. Something changed in Francis. Maybe he had realised that James was done for, maybe he was breaking down himself, but the look in his eyes was one of devotion, maybe love, when he looked at James. Just like James had surely been looking at him in the past. 

Maybe he was imagining it all.

Maybe he was imagining the kiss pressed to his cheek as he drifted off. 

Maybe he was imagining the tender words his captain whispered, barely audible.

But even so, James knew he had to put an end to the suffering; his own, but more importantly everyone else’s.

Maybe that was the one way, Francis could show him love now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [This post on Tumblr](https://i-am-a-hog.tumblr.com/post/630777140126892032/dont-know-if-the-requests-are-still-open-but)


	4. Le Vesconte and Subtle Kindnesses

Henry knew he couldn’t meaningfully help James. They were too deep in the shit at this point and even though he did hope for the best outcome, realistically, he had to admit that their chances of the expedition having a good ending were slim. James was taking it harder than Captain Crozier did, or at least than he showed. Some days, James passed out in front of his desk, barely holding on enough to keep from sleeping on the cold hard wood of the floor. 

The least Henry could do for him was fetch a pillow and wedge it under his head, watching how some of the creases in James’ forehead evened out slowly, as his breathing became less raspy. There were other times, where he found James at the dining table, a glass of whiskey untouched in front of him and Henry didn’t have to guess why - he had seen the way James looked at Captain Crozier. He just sighed and put James’ coat around his shoulders to keep him warm. Sometimes, he took the whiskey.

Henry was as good at listening as James was at talking - he knew even without James needing to mention it, that the other was grateful when Henry lent him an ear after a long day or night. Sometimes it was enough to just get drunk together; that seemed to be the only thing that could get James out of his melancholy state since Sir John had died.

He loved James like a brother and seeing him hurt like this, saddened Henry a great deal, while he also knew that James wouldn’t let him help in more obvious ways. So instead, Henry focused on making his life easier almost imperceptibly for as long as James would let him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [This post on Tumblr](https://i-am-a-hog.tumblr.com/post/630874557131210753/i-dont-know-if-youre-still-taking-requests-for)


	5. Terrortober prompt 19: Bed Hair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Modern AU where James and Francis are coworkers. That's it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :) for Raph because I'm projecting and also happy 3 months! <3

What James hadn’t expected when he started hooking up with his colleague, had been waking up in his arms.

James had been aware he had feelings for Francis, but their arrangement was strictly physical and Francis had never once indicated any interest in James. Until he did. It was the most important coffee date of James’ life, and even though he knew Francis, even though they had slept together before, James had been nervous as hell.

And now, he was regularly waking up in Francis’ bed, with one arm wrapped around his middle and sturdy legs entangled with James’ own.

Now, he had the privilege of watching Francis wake up, bleary eyed and grumpy until his gaze landed on James’ faces and his expression melted into a soft smile. Once he had seen enough of James, he would throw an arm across his face and groan, stretch his back until it cracked, groan again, then rub his eyes. James knew the routine, knew the noises and the way Francis would look at him after. None of that was anything James would have dared to dream of.

The best part of Francis’ little morning routine was however none of the above: After an indulgent good-morning kiss, Francis would sit up and run a hand through his hair. It had grown quite a bit since James had first touched it and Francis kept muttering about having to get it cut again, but so far, James had managed to convince him otherwise. He would see reason when the hair situation got out of control, he assured Francis, but he wasn’t so sure, because the way Francis’ hair stood up in all directions in the morning was simply too endearing.

Francis didn’t understand James’ obsession with his bed head, but neither did he discourage it. Every morning he looked the same, ruffled and slightly grumpy. A look James couldn’t help but kiss away until Francis smiled and shook his head.

“I’ll never understand what you see in me.”

James nodded. He felt the same way. 

“That’s ok. It’s enough if I know.”

It was cheesy and if James heard anyone else say those words, he would probably throw up. He only gave himself a pass, because he was in love.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and Kudos as always greatly appreciated <3


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